Liberal Party Going Into Leadership Race With Rules Allowing Foreign Nationals to Vote 20
The Liberal Party will elect its new leader in the coming months with rules that were, according to publicly released intelligence, exploited by Beijing in the past to support a favoured candidate in a riding nomination contest.
The leadership race should kick-off in the coming days, after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced on Jan. 6 he intends to step down once the Liberal Party elects a new leader.
Details about the race are expected to be etched out this week by the party’s national board of directors, which has to set a date for the vote and set up committees to decide on issues such as contestants’ campaign spending limits.
The rules on who can become a registered Liberal and vote in the contest are not expected to change. As of now, the party bylaws stipulate that anyone who “ordinarily” lives in Canada and is at least 14 years old can register with the party at no fee.
The Conservatives only allow permanent residents and citizens to join, while NDP membership is open to “every resident” of Canada. Both parties charge a membership fee.
Registered Liberals can vote in the leadership race with different options, including providing a piece of government ID with an address. A Liberal can also vote without a piece of ID showing an address by swearing an oath and having a fellow registered Liberal vouch for his or her address.
The absence of a residency requirement means foreign students and temporary workers can help choose who is the next party leader. Individuals who have overstayed their visas can theoretically also be registered Liberals and vote.
“Registration in the Liberal Party of Canada is open without discrimination based on race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age or physical disability,” the party bylaws say….
Trump Says He Would Use ‘Economic Force’ to Merge Canada With US, Promises ‘Substantial’ Tariffs
Incoming U.S. President Donald Trump says he may use economic pressure as a strategy to merge Canada with the United States.
During a Jan. 7 press conference at Mar-a-Lago, Trump was asked whether he would ever use the U.S. military to annex Canada, to which he replied, “no, economic force.”
He said merging the two countries and getting rid of the “artificially drawn” border would “really be something.”
Trump said the United States was losing hundreds of millions of dollars per year to “subsidize” Canada, and said the United States does not need to rely on Canadian products like lumber, dairy, and automotives.
“We don’t need the dairy products. We have more than they have. We don’t need anything. So why are we losing $200 billion a year, and more, to protect Canada,” he said.
During the press conference, Trump confirmed he would be imposing “substantial” tariffs on Canada and Mexico when he takes office on Jan. 20. Trump has previously threatened to put 25 percent tariffs on both countries if they fail to secure their borders and stop the flow of illegal drugs and immigration.
According to Trump, when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visited him at his Florida residence in December, Trump asked him what would happen if he imposed the 25 percent tariffs.
“He said, ‘Canada would dissolve. Canada wouldn’t be able to function,’” Trump said….
LIVE: U.S. President-Elect Donald Trump Makes Remarks At Mar-A-Lago In Palm Beach
Did you saw last week where we have somebody who’s going to go from 100 to $200 billion do and we have many other people and we’ll be bringing some of them out some of them like to do it somewhat more quietly and some don’t and uh they feel so strongly about the country that they they want to let people know about it but it’s an honor to have such a great investor uh investing in our country the investment will support massive new data centers across the Midwest the sun Bel area and also to keep America on The Cutting Edge of technology and artificial intelligence he uh very big into the data centers and that’s going to be a very hot item in the coming years as you know with AI in particular the first phase of the project will be in Texas Arizona Oklahoma Louisiana Ohio Illinois Michigan and Indiana those places and who’s saying I’d love you to come up and say a few words thank thank you very much thank you thank you thank you Mr President it’s been amazing news for me and my family when…
